


Rage Muffins

by kyburg



Category: The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Gen, Stuff You Do Because You're The Only One There, There I Fixed It, cat rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 08:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13050081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyburg/pseuds/kyburg
Summary: Jessica Jones is minding her own business, thank you very much and then her sister shows up, and no - it doesn't matter what the problem is.  If it's something Jessica can do, she will.  That's just the way it works.





	Rage Muffins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smudgythoughts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smudgythoughts/gifts).



> Thank you for the lovely prompt! I hope you enjoy your story and happy Yuletide!

"I can't."

Trish Walker stood over the cardboard box she had put on Jessica Jones' office desk, waking her from what had been a reasonably sound slumber with pounding on the door, cries for help and repeated calls on her cell phone. All that, and a loud YOW YOW YOW in four part cacophony loud enough to echo off the walls, which had grabbed Jessica in the pit of her stomach as she had thrown clothing on and stumbled into her office.

Looking at her adopted sister over the box, Jessica took in the mussed hair, makeup no longer in good condition, haggard expression and bloodied hands before responding. "Can't what? Can't make this box stop that racket? What have you got in there, anyway? Trish, what the hell - ?"

"Kittens. I know, I know. But - " 

"Kittens? Okay, whatever. You look like you won them in a prize fight. Why are they squalling like that?"

"They're tiny. Eyes not even open yet, and they got left by themselves in the garage...started crying for their mother before dinner tonight, and I thought for sure the cat would come back, so I let them alone and they've been screaming ever since." Pulling out her phone, Trish showed Jessica the call log, nails chipped, broken and in clawed in multiple places. "I've called everyone...everywhere. The pound will just put them to sleep...and I can't. I just. I can't."

The shelter was only a few blocks away, as things went - Jessica noted the time. Five in the morning, the sun would be up soon. "You stopped here before you got to the shelter. Okay. Trish, I don't know anything about - " Opening the box, her heart sank as she reached for four muddy, cold and yowling kittens, barely qualifying for the title. "Gah, they're like ice!" To a one, each of them opened tiny mouths and hissed as Jessica picked them up to cradle them against her chest. "Shut the fuck up," she said casually, "Damn, Trish. Here. Grab two and stuff them inside your shirt or something. Where's my damn phone...."

"Today, Jess - I swear. I don't know. I just can't," she replied, strands of normally well-kept blond hair trailing into her red-rimmed eyes. "They didn't do anything, they're just here and it can't be that hard to find help for them? We find help all the time when we need it."

"It doesn't drop into our laps, if that's what you're thinking. Where's my phone. I'm calling Claire - "

Who, once she answered the phone and identified who was calling, replied in a tone that assured Jessica she was doing it with one eyebrow cocked. "I don't know nothing about birthing babies, Miss Scarlett. I also don't do cats. Malcolm around?"

"Of course no-" Looking up, Jessica stopped mid-word as the second person of the morning ignored the closed door of Alias Investigations, striding in with a grin and little shame. "Speaking of stray cats. Yeah, just showed up."

"Good guy, Luke just rousted him. What's he doing?"

He was scooping the wet, dirty muck out of the box Trish had brought the kittens in to replace it with dry newspapers before taking it over near the radiator. "Morning, Jess. That's Claire?"

Jessica pressed her lips together as she handed the phone over, sparing a quick look over at Trish trying to juggle two of the kittens without getting scratched or bitten. "Hi Claire, yeah - good to hear your voice too," Malcolm Ducasse said into Jessica's phone. "Yeah. I can do that. Yeah. Sure, right now right away. See you soon."

"Who unlocked the door, anyway?"

"Trish...you were on the phone. Dayim, I could hear those little guys three floors down!" Looking around the room, he darted into the bedroom to go fetch one of the few clean towels Jessica still had, over her jaw drop at his audacity for doing so. "Shelter has formula, Claire's got a buddy who works overnights, I'm going go hop on my bike and get it for you. She's coming, she's got both Luke and Danny with her. You got a twenty?"

"I got four hungry rage muffins, and a bad feeling about this."

Malcolm only shrugged as he put Jessica's phone down. "And twenty bucks, I'll get it out of the coffee can on the fridge. Be back in a jiff."

Jessica briefly considered telling Trish to drive Malcolm over, but watching her try to shush the two hollering creatures trying to find food in her earlobes while yowling at the same time, she thought better of it. Looking out the window, her own two only slightly more mollified kits (she had them tucked between her shirt and her bra) squirming in frustration, Jessica noted that Trish had jumped the curb with her car resting mostly on the sidewalk, missing her space on the street...and somebody had already snuck into it. "That had better be someone from Uber Eats or someone leaving in five, or I'm moonlighting as a tow truck."

"Here, I microwaved the towel for a few seconds, nice and warm. Put them in here." Malcolm took the kittens from both Trish and Jessica, deftly placing them in the box before running out the door. "Claire, Luke and Danny in less than twenty." 

"I got this. Washing my face, and Trish's. Changing clothes. All that." Snapping him a salute to make Captain America - well, not proud but at least satisfied - Jessica turned to Trish in time to see her face crumple as Malcolm bounced out the door. "Hey. Heeeey, now. What is this - "

Trish Walker, krav maga practitioner, fear-no-one, founding member of the persisterhood and all around tough as nails, take no prisoners wildcat - found the desk chair as her knees buckled and sobbed like Jessica had seen few times in her life. Jessica didn't say anything more. She just knelt at Trish's feet, rising to draw her head to her shoulder as she wrapped arms strong enough to protect her from anything...except those intangible things Trish had allowed past her guard, around her.

"I'm glad you came to me, okay?" Jessica said softly, holding her as close she Trish would allow. "Yeah, it's a pain in the ass, but they're here and stuff. I know you called Mom, and I know she was horrible, that's all you got from that - "

Catching her breath, Trish gulped down a few deep breaths and ended up snuffling into Jessica's shoulder as she nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she answered, "But the worst part is everybody I called was horrible. Nobody even had time to listen - "

"And today, it just hurt your feelings the wrong way."

"Jess, they were buried under a pile of garbage - someone tried to smother them because they were crying for help. I just - "

Closing her eyes against the flood of memories of the police station after the fall of the Midland Circle building, Jessica just stroked her back and shushed her as gently as she could muster. "And just like then, we're here now...and just like us, we're going to get help for them. Okay."

"This isn't about almost losing you, Jess."

"Course not. Not a chance. I still got that extra suit you gave me in the closet. Hit the showers and get changed."

"...but it is," Trish said quietly, "And I'm sorry."

"All the bazillion kittens left in dumpsters in New York, and these four crossed your path. Lucky them, I'd say, catching you on a night like tonight. G'wan."

"I love you."

"And I love you...so much. Now, scoot. I got to make myself dainty before Danny shows up and sneers at my office again."

###

Claire Temple arrived, as promised with both Luke Cage and Danny Rand in tow...and Jessica was only slightly nonplussed as Colleen Wing arrived herself by driver, bearing coffee, breakfast sandwiches and fresh fruit - apples, oranges and bananas - by the armful. Still toweling her hair dry with the one towel Malcolm had left her and Trish, Jessica watched Danny scowl at her as he passed by to go straight to the box by the radiator, nodding as he went and then as she watched, his face opened in wonder like a kid with a present at Christmas as he looked inside. Claire had only sized up the room, noticing that the humans were all in one piece and that was as much attention as they merited. "I got some warm water and glucose, let's try to get them to take some of that while Malcolm gets back here with the good stuff."

She was using insulin syringes with the tips broken off as she demonstrated. Wrap a kitten in a hand towel, get a hand underneath and place a finger under the chin, gently nose the mouth open with the tip of the syringe and place a small amount of fluid on the tongue. "Careful, too much at once or in the wrong position and they'll choke on it."

Despite their best efforts, the kittens howled between each swallow. "It's good they're so loud, right?" Luke stood behind the four trying to get some calories into the kittens, a hand to the back of his head in confusion, and no little worry. "Means they still have the strength to fight on, don't they."

"Oh these are champion-brand, New York's finest stray cats - the energizer bunny has nothing on these guys," Jessica said wrly. "Hey look, Claire. Mine's taking it - "

"Hypothermia is still a real thing - "

"Mine's not as cold," Trish mentioned, "I think it's helping."

Danny rubbed his hands together to warm them up again as he took up his kitten as Colleen looked on. "Mine's got a white chin and whiskers, it's so cute. Come on, little guy."

"Mine's a Halloween kitty, orange and black," Claire murmured.

"White, like snow," Trish added.

"Orange," Jessica pronounced. "All over, bright as a commercial for Florida sunshine."

"Once Malcolm gets her with the formula, and IF these guys take that - we might be able to get them less filthy," Claire said, taking a corner of the towel to rub her kitten on the tummy. "Luke?"

As one, they all looked up as they watched Luke close a call on his cell phone. "Sweet Christmas. I don't believe this. Danny, can I borrow Colleen - I don't know, but I'm going to need another pair of hands. I want hers."

"Where are you going?" Claire only cocked an eyebrow as Luke fished the car keys out of Claire's bag as Colleen got to her feet. "Something I ought to know?"

"If she brought some Wheaties, I'd have some," Luke said as he strode out the door. "By the way, Malcolm's on his way up. Back in hm. An hour, mebbe a little more. Ms. Walker, your garage have an opener?"

"On the dash, here I'll unlock it for you - "

"Good enough - on my way, sooner I get there, sooner I get back."

"My place. You're going to my place?"

"Kinda sorta. Nearest landmark, that sort of thing. Going to see a man about a - nevermind. Keep 'em warm, I'll be back - if this is what I think it is, it'll be the answer to all our prayers."

Trading a quick goodbye kiss with Claire, he was gone with Colleen in tow.

Jessica only met Claire's eyes with a slow blink. "He took the smarts with him, I'm not worried. Malcolm! Hurry the fuck up, we got hungry cats up here and I don't think this faking it stuff is going to work much longer!"

###

It was that hour, and then some. The formula and accompanying bottles worked just like they said on the boxes, and a quick call to a friendly veterinarian netted the name and phone number of another cat rescue that bottle fed kittens on a regular basis.

Contacting that worthy confirmed that yes, they were doing everything exactly right, gave them more advice and an after hours panic number - and no, they could not take over.

"We're stuck with you guys," Jessica pronounced to the fuzzy faces sleeping in a pile in their box by the radiator, "You poor slobs."

They fed them, then on the direction of the rescue, took some of the vegetable oil from the kitchen and rubbed their little tummies until they relieved themselves.

Claire took it upon herself to carefully give them sponge bathes to remove as much of the muck and filth as she could without getting them cold and wet again.

And then they fell on the food Colleen had brought, peeling oranges to cover the smell, the crisp snap of the apples now louder than the kitten's cries. "I'd forgotten how good a banana tastes," Danny said, after polishing off three in quick succession, sighing deeply. "They said they'll have to be fed every two hours. We can do that, right?"

"Here, all of us camped out in my office?" Jessica took a deep bite of her apple, then gestured with it. "Sure, it'll be a nine week slumber party! Wooooo."

Leaning against the desk, and the walls where they had found themselves, Trish, Jessica, Claire and Danny began to doze as Malcolm continued to bustle about, picking up dirty towels, trash and orange peels.

When Claire's phone pinged, it startled all of them back into wakefulness as she jumped. "It's Luke. He's back, downstairs. Holy - "

"What is it?"

"Sweet Christmas. He's got the Mamma cat. And - something else."

"Something - or someone?" Trust Trish's instincts, the look on Claire's face told Jessica she had got it in one. Rising to her feet to go to the window as quickly as her legs would allow, Jessica peered down into the street.

Luke had a wrapped bundle in his arms that squirmed and fought him like a reasonably good sized cat would and he looked up at the window with such a look of mixed disgust and relief, Jessica couldn't help but laugh. But Colleen...Colleen had her hands full, and that was when she ran for the door herself.

"Holy fuck, she's got Matt."

###

The kittens were safe, and sleeping in their box when all of them arrived on the sidewalk to surround Matt Murdock who only murmured about "I found her, I heard them I heard you," over and over again.

Claire had gone white around her mouth and silent as the grave. Meeting Danny's eyes, Jessica nodded and they made a basket carry between them. Jessica heard Matt draw breath to complain and growled. "Oh. Okay, then," he said lightly, and allowed them to take over.

"My room. Bed." As if there was any other option.

"I smell babies," Matt crooned absently. "You found all of them. That's good."

Bones shifted under their hands, and more than once Jessica and met Danny's eyes and saw what she was thinking herself in them. Matt was alive, alive - but in one piece, unharmed? He was goofy enough to believe he was under the influence of something, most likely some high level pain management but had he been clear headed enough to hear *where* Trish had gone with the kittens, let alone finding and capturing the matching Mamma?

"Damn fool, hope you attended your own funeral. Heartbreaker," Luke called from the kitchen where both he and Claire were now wrestling with the full-grown mother cat who one, did not respect the prospect of a warm bath, and two, truly hated everyone within a five mile radius. "Hey, Mamma. Try what you like, it ain't gonna work. Just get your bath and you can go back to raising those babies."

"I'm watching out for the sharp ends," Claire muttered as she began to clean up the cat. "She looks just like my kitten, like Halloween - doesn't she?"

"Sweet Christmas, she's a handful," was all Luke said until she was done.

Meanwhile, Jessica stood at the foot of the bed considering her next words to Matt with some care. Danny had taken up a post at his right shoulder, while Colleen barred the door. Trish continued to watch the kittens, only looking up from time to time with bemused affection on her face. 

"I'm sorry I worried you," Matt began, then stopped. Eyebrows raised almost into his hairline, his mouth quirked upwards in amused shock. "Wow, you are really mad," he added.

"I am so many things right now, I amaze myself," Jessica heard herself say with a hiss. "There are two people I really like, really really like a lot that I know now, thanks to you, asshole. Who really should have known long before I did you were still breathing room air. Which one do I call?"

"My vote is on Karen!" Trish called from the other room. Folding her arms, Jessica tapped her foot. 

"I don't think calling either - "

"Fuck you," Jessica spat. "Nah, I'm not even going to yell. Fuck that, you and everything about that. Even Danny wouldn't hang with that, so forget it. Colleen isn't even going to let me - or you, jerkface - leave this room without letting someone who loves you know you live. You tell me, or I decide. I might just let Trish do her worst, and that's going to be more than either of us want to deal with, believe me."

Something in the cast of Matt's face made Jessica ball her hands into fists, she couldn't exactly say what it was. "Oh, please. I dare you to get out of this place in one piece to avoid facing your friends over this. Seriously, I have already had twenty bad days in the past five hours."

"Point," Matt said quietly, allowing his eyes to close and turning his head away. "Foggy. Call Foggy...."

###

"Okay, everybody in the bedroom, and get ready to close the door. Front door locked?" Claire had gathered up all of the dirty linens, wet towels and other paraphernalia leftover from rescuing the kittens. Luke still had possession of 'Sweet Christmas' as the Mamma cat was now known, scruffed and still trying to claw the life out of him despite none of the attacks landing. Somehow, he had avoided allowing her a chance to bite her, not wanting her to break her teeth on his skin.

The box with the kittens was open, and now hungry again, the kittens were beginning to stir and make plaintive 'hungry hungry' noises again.

"This will work or it won't, hope you said your prayers and sent good thoughts to the patron saints of cat rescuers - "

Last one into the bedroom, Luke backed himself into the doorway and with a quick burst, tossed the cat into the center of the office and closed the door behind him.

Finding a place to stand or sit in Jessica's bedroom, they all waited and listened.

The cat made a number of angry meows, then hissed a few times...but then they all heard the sounds of the kittens getting a bit louder as the cardboard box was jostled, then the unmistakable sound of the cat jumping into the box, trilling to her kittens as she settled in with them.

And then the kittens went silent.

"That's it. We've done it," Matt said into the quiet. "She's accepted them back, it's all good."

"When can we get out of here?" Jessica asked, curled up at the head of the bed at Matt's left shoulder, looking over to Foggy Nelson now sitting on his right. "I want a beer."

"Give it an hour, and we'll send Luke out first," Claire said, smiling. "If she wants to attack someone - "

"She can attack someone who won't give a shit, got it."

"You got any takers for the kittens yet?" Foggy Nelson was dressed much as one would expect one to be from a dead sleep to wide awake on my way - and he was less than happy, yet almost giddy with it at the same time. "I'm serious, quit laughing."

"Nelson, that's five cats at one go," Danny said. "I don't know that I'm really for that kind of commitment - "

"We could manage them," Colleen added helpfully, "Maybe. Dojo could use the pest control."

"Point," Danny said and nodded sagely. "They couldn't stay indoors, though."

"No way," Trish said, crossing her hands in the air with broad strokes. "These are going to be indoor cats from now on."

"Which, I might add, works for me because unless I miss my guess, I'm the only one with enough indoor space to make it work, am I right?" Foggy continued to look around the room with an expression Jessica could hardly place. 

"What are you going to name them?"

He grinned and winked at her. "Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. Kidding! Kidding!" Dodging thrown pillows, he threw up his hands to defend himself. "Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. I'll think of you call every time I see one of them, every season of the year."

"He will, too." Matt remained uncharacteristically subdued, acutely aware he was surrounded and not even close to being able to do anything about it. For all that, Jessica found him carefully polite and well-behaved, even contrite. Without really thinking about it, she bent over and kissed him in the middle of his forehead with a loud smack. "I guess you missed me," Matt said into the quiet that resulted.

"Nah, I dragged you around behind me like a little red wagon with no wheels on it, just like everybody else in this room. Love you, Matt. Mean it."

"I'm sorry," he began, but Jessica cut him off.

"Nah uh. There are five things any good apology has to have in it. Words." Holding up her hand in the air, she ticked off them off one by one. "This. Will Never Happen. Again."

"I can't do that."

"Okay, then I'll make it even easier for you. One, you're alive - you tell us. Two, next time you get killed, stay dead!"

"I'll do my best," Matt answered weakly. "Love you too, Jess?"

###

It wasn't a week before Foggy had moved the cats out of the office.

Minding her own damn business, enjoying a chat with Luke in her office with Claire checking on Malcolm, who shows up but this kid - Queens, had to be - out of breath, wild-eyed with what looked like spider webs stuck to his jacket and pants.

In his arms, a hit-by-car dog, a small one. A cute one.

"Please, I just can't. I - can't." And damn if there weren't tears on his cheek in the next second. Claire was in motion, and Luke was out of his chair before she could say a word. 

There was really only one thing that came to mind, and it cleared her lips before she could think twice about it.

"Fuck me," Jessica said. "Just. Yeah. That."

And she hugged the kid after he let Claire take the dog away from him.

**Author's Note:**

> WHEW! This has been a terrible year for writing, and as always, I come up with ideas I never feel I have the time to give enough attention to but I think this one is a keeper.
> 
> Keep an eye out for more from the Rage Muffins Rescue - 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. Comments welcomed like old friends.


End file.
